Welcome to Indianapolis, where looking at traffic is a pastime worthy of its own park.

Not ripped from a convention and visitors bureau pamphlet, perhaps, but this type of green space may be a reality soon.

"The Idle — A Point of View" is proposed for a grassy area between the northbound and southbound lanes of combined I-65 and I-70 southeast of Downtown. Approved by the Federal Highway Administration and seeking financing via crowdfunding, "The Idle" includes plans for chairs and a sunshade designed for watching cars, trucks and other vehicles pass.

Let's look at the idea's pros and cons, in point-counterpoint style:

It's a punchline

The Idle emerged on a national stage Saturday when the "Bluff the Listener" segment of NPR's "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me" mocked the proposed park. Presented alongside two fake Indianapolis attractions, a Karen Pence towel charm museum and a women's prisoner talent show, the Idle was less believable than the Pence museum to caller Mark Isham of Elizabethtown, Ky. "Yeah, we didn't believe it either," "Wait, Wait" host Peter Sagal said.

It's inspired

The Idle is the brainchild of Tom Battista, owner of Bluebeard restaurant and long-running stage manager for musician Jimmy Buffett. Battista said the park along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail and Virginia Avenue bridge signifies a reunion of Fletcher Place and Fountain Square — two areas that were severed when the interstates were built in the 1960s. "Fletcher Place and Fountain Square are turning back into a neighborhood," Battista said. "The connection between the two is really important." Regarding the attention from "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me," Battista said he can take a joke. "Any publicity is good publicity," he said. "People thought the Cultural Trail was stupid and the Monon Trail if you think about when it started."

It's a punchline

Anglophiles may flock to the Idle because truck spotting (a cousin of train spotting) is an actual thing in the United Kingdom. Indianapolis is overdue to be represented at Lorryspotting.com, the "biggest and best site for truck enthusiasts and spotters in the world."

It's inspired

Battista said the park is an oasis of nature within the city and what he refers to as "rivers of cars." He mentions a "mini forest" of trees planted by Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, as well as an ability to hear conversations without being drowned out by traffic noise.

It's a punchline

Thirty-seven years after John Lennon sent "Watching the Wheels" to No. 10 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 singles chart, the Idle offers a tangible realization of the song's ditch-the-rat-race message. Of course, as Lennon sang, "They shake their heads and they look at me, as if I've lost my mind."

It's inspired

Supporters call the Idle a progressive reuse of public urban space. Visitors will sit in seats salvaged from bygone minor-league ballpark Bush Stadium. And if you're still a nonbeliever, Battista points to New York City's High Line, a linear park built on a defunct railroad path. "When people deny that anybody will sit and watch traffic, they need to go to New York and the High Line and see all those people," he said.

Will the Idle spring to life?

It's up to a crowdfunding effort that's seeking $41,000 by June 16. If that amount is raised, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority will kick in another $41,000.

Call IndyStar reporter David Lindquist at (317) 444-6404. Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist.